Centrifuges are used to separate components of collected samples of biological and other materials. The samples are typically placed in tubes or other containers configured to be received in a centrifuge rotor for rapid rotation in the centrifuge. One type of centrifuge rotor includes swinging buckets pivotally coupled to a rotor body to permit the longitudinal axes of sample tubes or containers carried on the buckets to rotate from a generally vertical orientation to a generally horizontal orientation as the rotor spins during centrifugation. To balance the dynamic forces experienced during centrifugation, swing bucket rotors are typically designed to support the swing buckets in a generally symmetric arrangement around the rotational axis.
One conventional type of swing bucket centrifuge rotor includes a generally cylindrical metallic rotor configured to support an even number of swing buckets, such as four, on diametrically opposite sides of the rotational axis of the rotor. In rotors of this type, and because of the very high rotational speeds during centrifugation, the rotor bodies must be able to withstand the dynamic stresses and forces generated by the rapid rotation of the swing buckets about the central rotational axis. These dynamic stresses and forces may lead to failure of the metallic rotor, such as fatigue failure. Additionally or alternatively, conventional metallic rotors of this type may be subject to corrosion. A need therefore exists for improved swing bucket rotors that overcome these and other drawbacks of conventional centrifuge rotors.